Residents of Colorado seeking addiction recovery support can find myriad facilities, organizations, and programs throughout the state. These include crisis stabilization, medical detox, residential, and outpatient treatments. Connections are available through various providers including non-profit organizations, harm reduction clinics, government grant initiatives, collegiate centers, and more. If you’re looking for free addiction recovery resources in Colorado, the organizations described below may be able to help.
Drug Statistics in Colorado
Addiction Nonprofits in Colorado
Colorado Crisis Services
This organization operates a walk-in clinic and 24-hour hotline that Colorado residents can access if they or someone they know is experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Clients can choose to connect with a trained professional, who will provide support and expert guidance, or a peer specialist who has been through a similar situation and can offer solidarity and comfort. As appropriate, providers can route clients to community resources for further treatment.
Advocates for Recovery Colorado
This non-profit organization provides direct services, addiction education, and advocacy programs throughout the state. Their services include free peer recovery coaching and family counseling programs that anyone can access. They also hold sober social events throughout the year to foster community connections.
Rise Above Colorado
This is a statewide SUD prevention program for youth, designed to help teenagers in Colorado understand the risks of drug and alcohol misuse and empower them to make healthy decisions. Initially created in 2008 as the Colorado Meth Project, the organization creates and distributes educational content for participating middle and high schools. They also connect clients with community resources that offer support and addiction recovery services.
Harm Reduction Programs
Access Point Colorado
Part of Colorado Health Network (CHN), this group operates a syringe access program (SAP) that allows intravenous drug users to obtain sterile, unused syringes and safe injection equipment at no cost. They manage five SAPs across the state including locations in Denver, Pueblo, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction. They also offer HIV and Hepatitis C testing at a location in Greeley.
The Works Program: Boulder County
This program provides free and legal harm reduction supplies and addiction education for individuals who live in Boulder County. Available items include sharps containers, syringes, safer sex supplies, naloxone, bandages and ties, glass pipes, and related resources. Providers can also give referrals and linkages to other support services in the community including HIV and Hepatitis C testing, SUD recovery programs, and mental health treatment.
Southern Colorado Harm Reduction Association
This organization provides services to help drug users in Colorado access safer supplies and addiction recovery support. In addition to operating an on-site SAP and distributing free Narcan, they also offer holistic and evidence-based therapies including AcuDetox, brain synchronization therapy (BST), life skills training, and career counseling.
Government Grants & Resources
Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (CBHA)
The CHBA operates a central registry of different opioid treatment programs (OTPs) throughout the state. Clients can access the list to find treatment providers near their location. Services offered through each OTP include medication assisted treatment (MAT) and counseling support.
Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP)
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) operates COSSUP with grant funding supplied in 2020 through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). This program includes a network of seven healthcare providers across the state that deliver addiction treatment and harm reduction supplies to communities in Colorado. Available services include SUD treatment, recovery support, naloxone kits, addiction education, and related resources.
Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
This consortium coordinates Colorado’s statewide response to the abuse and misuse of prescription medications. They partner with many government agencies and state organizations including the CDPHE, the CBHA, and grassroots programs, to fund 11 distinct work groups. Each group focuses on a particular aspect of addiction, such as public advocacy, harm reduction, treatment and recovery, and provider education.
College Addiction Resources
University of Colorado, Boulder: Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC)
At the university’s COC, students, faculty, and staff members in addiction recovery can find community, peer connections, and access to professional treatment. They provide sober housing and weekly support meetings as well as access to substance-free events, public service opportunities, and educational programming.
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs: AOD Programs
Students at the university can participate in individual and group counseling services for addictions to alcohol and other drugs (AOD). Providers in this department can also offer referrals to community-based resources for students who require a more intensive level of care.
Colorado College: Counseling Center
The Counseling Center at Colorado College connects students to professional mental health services. The first six counseling sessions are offered at no cost and psychiatrist medication services are available for a fee. Programs available at the center include individual and group counseling, solution-focused psychotherapy, medication management, addiction education, and connections to community-based providers for additional support. A counselor is on call 24/7 to provide assistance as needed.
LGBTQ+ Resources
The Center on Colfax
This group is dedicated to uplifting and supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community across Colorado, including youth, adults, and seniors. They provide career counseling, legal assistance, and mental health services through Glass Lawler Mental Health. Their programs include individual counseling, peer support groups, community-wide social events, and aftercare services. The first 12 counseling sessions are available at no cost and may occur in person or online.
Queer Asterisk
This organization provides mental health counseling, educational training, advocacy, peer mentorship, and community programs for Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community. Their services include individual, group, and family counseling. Providers incorporate holistic and evidence-based approaches such as somatic therapy, canine therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and other treatment methods. Trauma-informed counselors are available.
iAmClinic
Based in Denver, this organization provides individual, couples, group, and family counseling services for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Services are available online or in person. Providers can also make referrals to affirming local resources for individuals who require additional or longer-term support.
Veterans Programs
Colorado Veterans Project
This organization provides a large network of community connections for veterans, military members, and their families. They help individuals find various programs to meet their needs, including family events, local activities, housing, financial and legal services, and educational opportunities. They also connect clients to mental and behavioral health treatment providers who can provide addiction recovery support.
VA Healthcare System
There are two VA Healthcare Systems (HCS) that provide SUD treatment in Colorado. These include the VA Western Colorado HCS in Grand Junction and the VA Eastern Colorado HCS in Aurora. Here, clients can access outpatient treatment services to help them address their SUD and work toward long-term recovery. Separate VA Outpatient Clinics are also available in Pueblo and Colorado Springs.
Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs
The Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs helps military members, veterans, and their families connect to an array of resources and public services including housing assistance, career counseling, financial assistance, legal support, and healthcare. Individuals can visit their website to find links to local providers and organizations that specialize in treating this community, including a designated Veterans Crisis Line, emergency and mental health services, and varying levels of mental health care.
Indigenous & Tribal Programs
Native American Counseling and Healing Collective (NACAHC)
Located in the Denver metro area, this group provides counseling and consultations to Colorado’s local Native, Indigenous, and BIPOC communities, including children and adults. Their services include goal-oriented counseling at the individual, group, or family level, which may incorporate holistic or integrative therapies such as dancing and meditative walking. Teletherapy sessions are also available.
White Bison
White Bison provides addiction recovery for adults in Colorado’s Native American and Alaskan Native communities. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, they specialize in treatments based on the Wellbriety Movement, which blends wellness-based initiatives with sobriety-focused programming. They provide addiction education, peer-based circle meetings, training events, and other activities throughout the year.
Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health
Provided through the Colorado School of Public Health, this center provides research, health education, technical assistance, and advocacy for American Indians and Alaska Natives in Colorado. They partner with human services groups in more than 200 locations across the state, including rural and reservation communities. Their projects span myriad focus areas, including addiction recovery for Native peoples.
Drug Laws in Colorado
Naloxone Standing Order
This law, enacted in 2015, gives Colorado residents general access to the addiction medication naloxone. It allows pharmacies to carry and distribute the medication without requiring a prescription from the individual requesting it. In addition, licensed providers throughout the state are authorized to provide naloxone to residents experiencing an overdose.
Legalized Marijuana
Following the state’s legalization of marijuana in 2012, Colorado lawmakers now allow individuals who are at least 21 years old to purchase up to one ounce of the substance from a licensed retail store. They can also possess up to two ounces at one time. Residents are prohibited from driving after consuming marijuana, and the impairment level is currently set at five nanograms of THC per one milliliter of blood.
Needle-Stick Prevention
Under this law, individuals are exempt from being arrested and charged for possession of drug paraphernalia if they inform a law enforcement officer that they have any type of sharp object, such as a syringe or needle, on their person or in their home or vehicle. To qualify for this exemption, the detained individual must make this admission before a police search occurs.